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Jedi
A Jedi was a member of the Jedi Order, which studied, served and used the mystical energies of the Force; more specifically, the light side of the Force. The Jedi fought for peace and justice in the Republic, often against their mortal enemies, the Sith, who studied the dark side of the Force. Although the Order was virtually destroyed with the culmination of the Clone Wars, and before that approximately 4000 years before by Darth Revan and Darth Malak, the Jedi lived on due to the presence of the Bakuran Jedi Order, hidden away on Bakura. History Originally formed as a philosophical study group situated on the planet Tython, the Jedi became revered as august guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. As mystical wielders of the Force and of their glowing, signature lightsabers, their powers inspired awe in most of the galaxy's citizens. The calm, considered demeanor of the Jedi made them ideal brokers of peace in times of conflict or dispute. Yet, for all their power and diversity, the Jedi were few. Often beset by foes in times of doubt and confusion, undercurrents of evil often challenged their order and the establishment they served, the most notable being the Sith. These dark warriors were the antithesis of the Jedi, their sworn enemies, and the battle between them brought the galaxy to war more than once. In times of crisis, the Sith influence could even block the sight of the Jedi Order. The way of the Jedi had become the way of wisdom and patience, backed by swift and decisive action when necessary. However, the Jedi Council sometimes showed what appeared to be a lack of decisiveness, such as during the Mandalorian Wars, preferring to work with events and patterns over the long term. Their inaction spurred Revan to fight back, and eventually led to the Jedi Civil War. To the rest of the galaxy, the line between Jedi and Sith became blurred during the conflict, and both sides were blamed for the destruction wrought on worlds such as Katarr, Telos, and Dantooine. Through intricate planning and dazzling adaptability, one Sith Master even rose to the office of Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, engineered a war, and undermined the Jedi until he could, in one swift, masterful stroke, destroy the Jedi Order and enslave the galaxy beneath his banner as Emperor. Yet even this catastrophe failed to eradicate the Jedi completely, and, within a generation, they had returned to once again protect and nurture the galaxy with their wisdom and guidance. The Jedi were a source of morale for the Republic. Path : There is no emotion; there is peace. : There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. : There is no passion; there is serenity. : There is no chaos; there is harmony. : There is no death; there is the Force. : — The Jedi Code Becoming a Jedi required the most profound commitment and astute mind. The life of a Jedi was one of sacrifice. To hinder transgression, those who showed an aptitude for the Force were taken directly from birth (or soon afterward) to train in the Jedi Temple headquartered on Coruscant or the hidden Bakuran Temple. From the beginning of their training a Jedi was expected to adhere to a strict Code that included concepts such as rational thought, patience, and benevolence. Emotions such as hate, anger, and fear were thought to be destructive and lead to the dark side, so such things were banned from Jedi practice. Training Almost all youthful Jedi were initially called Younglings and instructed in "clans" by a venerable, experienced Jedi Master, learning the ways of the Jedi and the powers of the Force. After Ruusan it had become normal that the Jedi trainees were always children. Once Yavin 4 had been established as Jedi headquarters, the Jedi initiates, which were no longer children, were trained first under the direction of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and, in time, under another Master's direction in groups. With the New Jedi Order, the Younglings were trained in clans since childhood once more. When an individual student achieved satisfactory understanding of the Jedi way, they were usually taken under the wing of another Jedi member and instructed individually to complete their training. Masters typically brought their Padawans along on missions, and later sent them on missions on their own, for them to gain experience and learn from practice. Lightsaber training The traditional Jedi weapon was the lightsaber, which, in the hands of a skilled wielder, could be deadly in combat, even against opponents armed with ranged weapons. To attain this level of skill, however, required great focus and training. Students practiced the rubrics of lightsaber combat with a remote, and children used training lightsabers. They also dueled fellow Jedi as a test of their skills. Due to all the weight being in the hilt, Jedi needed heightened awareness, thus, such conditioning honed their attunement to the Force. Since the binding of a lightsaber's intricate innards and the initial charging of the power cell also required knowledge of the Force to implement, a Jedi was tasked with constructing their own lightsaber as part of their training, using special crystals that focused the lightsaber's blade. During the Jedi Civil War era, many Cerean Jedi used specially-forged Kasha lightsaber crystals as a meditative tool; by incorporating such crystals into their training regimens, they helped to clear the wielder's mind of distractions, even during tense physical combat. Further, it was a task in itself to find components for the lightsaber. Meditation in a crystal cave on a planet such as Ilum or Dantooine would often produce an image in the Jedi's mind about the lightsaber they were to build. The construction of a lightsaber was considered a milestone on the path to Jedi Knighthood, and took on a heavily symbolic meaning. During the times of the Old Republic, it was a customary practice for a Jedi Master to present their own personal lightsaber as a gift to their most accomplished student. Jedi apprentice Nomi Sunrider was the recipient of one such lightsaber, receiving the weapon from Master Thon as a testament to the potential for greatness he recognized within her. Though the apprentice was indeed gracious in receiving such an honored gift, their Master would still stress the importance of knowing how to build one, requiring or even demanding that eventually the apprentice learns to construct their own, unique, lightsaber. Way of life In following the Code, Jedi behavior was rigidly structured to uphold self-discipline, responsibility, and public service. The Jedi conquered emotions and materialism. They honored life, the law, the order itself and the master-student relationship. Jedi rendered aid to support and defend the weak; compassion was "encouraged". Rules of engagement included such notions as understanding the dark and light in all things, learning to see accurately, opening their eyes to what was not evident and exercising caution, even in trivial matters. Above all, Jedi upheld their duty to the Republic and embraced the Force. The Jedi before the Ruusan Reformation typically had more leeway in their dealings, as the Order was more loosely organized and the individual Knights and Masters granted greater personal freedom. Afterwards, the Order was more centrally regulated by the High Council. Early Jedi were known to utilize shields and armor to protect themselves in battle, and used blaster pistols as well as lightsabers in combat. Later, as the lightsaber became a more self-contained weapon without an external power pack, the Jedi chose to carry it as their sole weapon of defense and offense. The lightsaber came to fulfill both a symbolic and pragmatic role for the Jedi; it identified the wielder, had a powerful visual impact, and given the availability of cybernetic replacement limbs might have been seen as a more 'clean' weapon than the blaster, which Jedi came to regard as "clumsy" and "random." The Jedi of the pre-Reformation era also do not seem to have had any formal dress code, and dressed more or less as they saw fit, although traditional robes were favored by most Masters. These included a tunic, a cloak, and sometimes a tabard—usually in varied tones and shades of white and brown, though, gray was also quite common for the overtunic. The left side of the dress was always turned on the right part of the torso. After the Reformation, these robes became the typical Jedi clothing, even in battle. The Jedi also wore trousers, an obi, a leather utility belt, where they carried specialized field gear for their missions, and leather boots. The Jedi colors, which showed harmony with the Force, formed a stark contrast to the antithetical Sith, who were draped primarily in black. In accordance with their philosophies of non-attachment, clothing was viewed as quite disposable. Indeed, possession itself was seen as forbidden as another form of attachment, and most Jedi lived out lives of materialistic poverty, though the Order's infrastructure and the support of the Republic meant the Jedi did not lack for food, housing, or clothing. Post-Ruusan Jedi were forbidden to hold strong attachments, as they were believed to lead to the emotions of the dark side. For this reason, Jedi were not allowed to marry. Anakin Skywalker would become testament to such Jedi circumspection, as his fear of losing his undisclosed wife, Padmé Amidala, ultimately caused his fall to darkness, but his connection to his son, Luke Skywalker, would later drive him back to the light. Although Jedi were not required to be chaste as well, many Jedi were, due to sex being considered a self-indulgence and an unnecessary act. At least one special case was recorded in this arrangement: Ki-Adi-Mundi who, due to low Cerean birth-rates, was permitted to have a polygamous marriage, and fathered seven daughters. Ranik Solusar was disciplined by the Council for his marriage and the child it produced, but was not expelled from the order. Despite this restriction, Jedi were known to have secret, clandestine relationships, whether with non-Jedi, such as the marriages of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz, and Etain Tur-Mukan and Clone Commando Darman; or within the Jedi Order itself - such as the relationships of Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tahl, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi, and Tholme and Tr'a Saa. Many of these relationships did not lead to mishap. Further, Revan shared a romantic affection with Bastila Shan, who redeemed her after her fall. Others openly defied the High Council on this matter. This led to particular strife with Jolee Bindo and his wife, Nayama Bindo, during the Great Sith War. Bindo trained his wife in the ways of the Force, but she soon fell to the dark side. He was not expelled from the order, and instead was to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. He then lost faith in the wisdom of the Council and left the order. Up to the Ruusan Reformation, some Jedi did practice marriage and were known to have families of their own. There were even cases of families consisting entirely of Jedi, such as that of Andur Sunrider. The children of Jedi families were often gifted in the Force. Even later in the order, such families existed - though the continuation of the line was through those family members who did not become Jedi. Famous Jedi families of the late Republic included the Koon family and the Diath family. However, it appears that some Jedi might have been granted the right to marry, not as a special case, but as a norm. Several Corellian Jedi (Keiran Halcyon and Nejaa Halcyon during the Old Republic, and Corran Horn in the time of the New Republic) were allowed to marry and raise children without repercussion. Whether this was do to an agreement between the Jedi and the planetary government (Corellia is known for its family-centric culture), or purely personal choices made against the Jedi Code is not known. However, as Corellian Jedi often had many other noticeable differences from the traditional Jedi ways (in clothing and a reluctance to take on missions outside of their home system) it is possible that Corellian Jedi were allowed to grandfather in practices that had been banned by the Council in later years. The way of the Jedi was a life-long path, and a Jedi usually remained part of the Order their entire life—learning more about the Order and the Force and following the will of the Jedi Council. Up until the beginning of the Clone Wars, only twenty Jedi (of rank Master or higher) were said to have ever left the Order (although there is some debate as to whether this means the post-Ruusan Order, the Order after some earlier point in its history, or literally in its entire history), of which the most prominent were Count Dooku and Master Phanius. These were commonly referred to as the Lost Twenty, or simply "The Lost". The Force The Jedi were unified by their study of the Force: an "energy field" that emanated from every living thing. The Jedi sought to understand the Force so that they could use its power to protect and aid the people that they served. The Jedi believed that the Force could be harnessed through careful study and contemplation to benefit the user and the world around them. As they studied the light side of the Force, the Jedi encouraged their members only to use the Force for healing and defense—never in anger or fear. Unfortunately, several of the Jedi order throughout history disagreed with this view, arguing that other, darker uses of the Force should be allowed. This disagreement was one of the main issues the Jedi faced in their constant battle with the Sith. The Jedi focus their live on understanding and strengthening their connection, or oneness, with the Force to allow them to mainipulate it as an extention of themselves (by contrast, Sith merely enforce control over the Force). This conection is increased by rigorous training and meditation to achieve a state of mental, physical, emotional and spirtual harmony, a kind of inner peace. As the path requires such great disipline and may extend a Jedi's life, most Jedi never reach their true potential. Further attempts to achieve this potential may meet with failure and cause frustration in Jedi, resulting in a lesser conection and more frustration in turn. This is the main reason why Sith consider themselves stronger then Jedi, as few Jedi have shown the true limits of the light side's power and those who have seldom use it. The dark side of the Force brought with it a great temptation for many Jedi; to many the dark side seemed a quicker and easier path. Pursuit of the dark side, however, was a self-destructive endeavor, and many Jedi who tasted dark powers found it harder and harder to turn away. Though some Jedi could be redeemed back to the path of the light, many fell and became Dark Jedi, some of whom were members of the Sith Order. Further, the pall of the dark side could diminish Jedi ability, clouding their insights into important matters. For these reasons, practice of dark Force powers was expressly forbidden by the Jedi Council. Those fallen to the dark side, however, the Jedi tried to save. To the Jedi, killing was a last resort. This quality was at once a strength and a weakness of the Order. Three pillars of Jedi strength The strength of the Jedi Code and organization rested on three core tenets. * Self-discipline * Knowledge, as contained in the Jedi Archives * The Force, a universal energy that binds all things and also has many relations to midi-chlorians When used correctly, these allowed a Jedi to solve any problem and overcome any obstacle, helping to make the galaxy a better place. Jedi ranks As the Jedi instructed their members in the ways of the Jedi Code and the Force, each member progressed through four basic levels of rank. Hierarchy *''Jedi Initiate'' (or Youngling or "Jedi Hopeful") – a Force-sensitive child. Often a prospective Jedi was detected through blood sampling—those with great Force potential had high midi-chlorian counts in their bloodstream. At a very young age, children were removed from their families and assigned to the Jedi Temple for training. Younglings were taught in communal groups known as clans. *''Jedi Padawan'' – an apprentice who began serious tutelage under a single Jedi Knight or Jedi Master. In order to graduate to Padawan status, an Initiate was required to be chosen by a Knight or Master and taken as their sole pupil. If a youngling was not chosen to be a Padawan by 13 years of age, the youngling was placed into another, lesser role in the Jedi Service Corps, or they could choose to leave the Order. Depending on where the student's talents lay, this might be the Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration Corps. Padawans who were of a haired species typically wore a long braid of hair behind their right ear. When a Padawan was elevated to Knighthood the braid was cut during the knighting ceremony. At least a few Jedi, though, were elevated to Knighthood simply by being told that they had passed whatever trials were considered necessary—most notably Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Vergere. Some exceptions of late acceptances to Padawan training were made, most notably in the case of Anakin Skywalker. *''Jedi Knight'' – a disciplined Padawan could become a fully trained Jedi once they completed "the trials." The known trials were, but weren't limited to: the Trial of Flesh, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of Skill and the Trial of Self (also known as "facing the mirror"). *''Jedi Master'' – a Jedi Knight who showed great understanding of the Force and managed to instruct a Padawan and train them successfully to the level of a Jedi Knight. This title could also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds. Self-proclamation of the Jedi Master title was rare and frowned upon by the Jedi Council (for example: Jorus C'baoth and his unknown clone Joruus C'baoth). **''Counsellor'' (or Council Member) – A very few Jedi were invited to serve on the Jedi Council, the governing body of the Order. The Council was made up exclusively of wise, experienced Masters. The only Jedi Knight to be appointed to the High Council, Anakin Skywalker, was appointed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, although he was not granted the rank of Master simply because of this. Ki-Adi-Mundi served as a Councilor while undergoing the process of becoming a Master at the time of his invitation before Anakin. The Council was made up of 12 masters, five of them with life terms (two of them designated as "senior"), four as long-term, and three short-term. *''Grand Master'' – The highest rank of the Jedi Order was that of Grand Master. A Jedi Knight or Jedi Master could have only one apprentice at a time, and the Padawan had to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight before another apprentice could be chosen. Several thousand years before the events of the Ruusan Reformation, however, masters were allowed to have more than one apprentice, as evidenced by Master Arca Jeth having three—the brothers Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta. When the New Jedi Order first began, Luke Skywalker had to assign several students to one master due to the few Jedi in the Order; for example, Kyle Katarn had Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin both assigned to him. Specialization Being a Jedi was a life of great variation as the Jedi Order had several responsibilities. While many Jedi were generalists, some would specialize in one or more areas either in accordance with their own interests and preferences, or because they were delegated responsibility for an area that required specialization. With these specializations often came specific Jedi ranks. Moreover, in certain periods of the history of the galaxy, some Jedi would assume military ranks fighting alongside Republic forces. Military and warfare In times of war, especially when Sith forces were involved, Jedi would sometimes assume military ranks and govern armies of Republic military units, as was seen in the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Civil War, the New Sith Wars, the Clone Wars and the Darth Miedo Conflict. So Jedi indeed became soldiers, not just keepers of the peace. *''Jedi Commander'' – a Padawan serving as a Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, the Jedi Commander was assigned to a Jedi General until knighted. Once a full Jedi, the Padawan is now referred to as General. *''Jedi General'' – a Jedi Knight who had been placed in command of a Republic army. Considered a full General. *''Senior Jedi General'' – a Jedi Master that is not on the Council serving as a general in the Clone Wars. The Senior Jedi General was very experienced in warfare and battle tactics. *''High Jedi General'' – a member of the Jedi Council serving as a Jedi General during the Clone Wars, the Jedi High General would not only command their own army, but also supervise other Jedi Senior Generals, Jedi Generals and Jedi Commanders. Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu were all notable High Jedi Generals. *''Jedi Lord'' – a Jedi who served as a commander in the Army of Light during the New Sith Wars. The Jedi Lord assumed this title mainly out of political motivation. The rank was abolished after the war. In addition to the ordinary military ranks, there were a number of ranks and titles based on specialization in areas of warfare and combat. *''Force Warrior'' – a Jedi who was skilled in a special type of unarmed combat, using meditative martial arts and the Force. *''Jedi Ace'' – a Jedi who had specialized in starfighter combat, combining piloting skills with mastery of the Force. *''Jedi Gatemaster'' – the Jedi who served as the keeper of the main entrance at the Jedi Temple. These Jedi were usually trained in a special way. *''Jedi Guardian'' – a Jedi Master who was especially skilled in battle, the Guardian would concentrate mainly on martial training and combat in general without losing focus on diplomacy and the philosophies of the Force. *''Jedi Consular'' – a Jedi Master who was especially skilled in applications of the Force, the Consular would concentrate primarily on the diplomacy and the powers and philosophies of the Force. Similar to the Force Warrior. *''Jedi Sentinel'' – The balance point between Guardians and Consulars, Sentinels would focus on balancing between applications of the Force and combat skills. *''Jedi Weapon Master'' – a Jedi Master who focused solely on battle, the Weapon Master was among the greatest fighters of the Order, but also had very limited insight into philosophy and non-combat related Force skills. *''Jedi Watchman'' – The equivalent of the Jedi Sentinel, the Jedi Watchman investigated the mysteries of the galaxy and sought out injustice and harm and brought it into the light. A Jedi Watchman was assigned to watch over a particular system in the galaxy, and served it in all means. Healing *''Jedi Healer'' – Some Jedi would focus on the more Humanitarian aspects of the Force, specializing in Force powers based on Force healing. In addition to knowledge of such Force powers, also had extensive knowledge of medicine and medical technology. Jedi healers were normally stationed at the Jedi Medical Corps Infirmary, but would also serve in the field. For instance, around the time of the Clone Wars, Jedi healers would serve aboard MedStar frigates and, occasionally, in Republic's mobile surgical units ("Rimsoos"). Culture, history, and knowledge Some Jedi would specialize in lore, such as the history of the galaxy, the Force, and the Jedi Order, producing invaluable knowledge. *''Jedi archaeologist'' – a Jedi who had specialized in gaining historical knowledge through archaeology, the Jedi archaeologist was often a member of the ExplorCorps and involved in expeditions of various kinds. *''Jedi historian'' – a Jedi who had specialized in chronicling the history of the galaxy and the Jedi Order, the Jedi historian knew virtually everything about the past of the Jedi Order. *''Jedi librarian'' – a Jedi who had specialized in administrating vast databases of knowledge, the Jedi librarian was in charge of an important Jedi library, such as the ancient Great Jedi Library, the library of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, or the Jedi Archives. *''Jedi geologist'' – a Jedi who had specialized in geology. Liaison and diplomacy was watchman of Kashyyyk.]] Jedi were often called upon to act as impartial diplomats, possibly due to the Order's traditions of detachment from secular society and the phenomenon of Force-guided intuition. They would serve as moderators and negotiators during disputes, and their judgments were often recognized as just and binding. When acting as diplomats, Jedi took the utmost care to be impartial and fair-minded. The legacy of this impartiality was such that, decades after the Jedi Purge and Palpatine's false accusations of the corruption of the Jedi Order, the legend of Jedi impartiality lived on in the memories of some sections of galactic society. Some species who respected the Jedi -- for example, the Barabel -- retained a tradition of calling upon a Jedi's impartial judgment even for minor interpersonal disputes. Whilst any Jedi could function as a mediator or diplomat--for example, Obi-Wan Kenobi, also known as The Negotiator due to his skills in this area--two dedicated classes of "diplomatic Jedi" are known to have existed prior to the Jedi Purge: *''Jedi Sentinel'' – Jedi that sought a balance between the intensive combat training of the Jedi Guardians and the wider philosophical views and teaching responsibilities of the Jedi Consulars. These Jedi ferreted out deceit and injustice, bringing it to light. They were generally employed in scouting missions and were skilled in security, computers, stealth techniques, or medicine, and also had diplomatic skills. Having said that the title of Jedi Sentinel was an ancient one dating back as far as the Jedi Civil War, and seems to have fallen into disuse by the time of the Jedi Purge. *''Jedi Watchmen'' – Jedi Watchmen were charged with overseeing a particular system or sector, thus serving as a type of liaison officer between the system or sector and the Jedi Council as well as the Republic in general. Jedi Watchmen were often highly skilled in diplomacy and possessed knowledge of the culture of the system or sector they oversaw. Often Jedi Watchmen originated from the system or sector they were tasked with overseeing. Crime fighting and investigation The Jedi Order would also actively partake in crimefighting as part of their role as keepers of the peace in the Republic. They would loosely police the galaxy, but there were also groups of Jedi specializing in crime detection, investigation, solving, and prevention. , Agen Kolar, Mace Windu, and Kit Fisto arrive in the Chancellor's office to arrest Palpatine.]] *''Jedi investigator'' – a Jedi specially appointed by the Council to uncover hidden and obscure threats to the galaxy such as powerful criminal syndicates, corruption and conspiracy against the Republic and other shady menaces. The Jedi investigator would often work alone and undercover to infiltrate suspicious organizations or would be busy investigating some act of crime. *''Jedi Sentinel'' – a Jedi Sentinel was the perfect balance between the Jedi Guardian and the Jedi Consular, possessing great skills in combat and knowledge in the force. This type of Jedi functioned like both the Jedi investigator and the Jedi Shadow, rooting out and destroying both crime and the dark side. In addition, the Jedi Sentinel also had skills in various other studies. However, it is unclear whether the Jedi Sentinel as a distinct class survived the Ruusan Reformation, and the title was an ancient one dating back at least as far as the Jedi Civil War. *''Jedi Shadow'' – a Jedi whose job was to seek out and destroy any sign of the dark side of the Force, the Jedi shadow was the Jedi Order's primary weapon against the dark side up until the Clone Wars. The Jedi Shadow was a Jedi tasked with infiltrating dark side groups and cults to expose them to justice. Instruction In addition to the Master-Padawan model, some Jedi had specialized in teaching aspects of the Force and the skill required to be a Jedi. *''Jedi instructor'' – a Jedi accountable for giving general teachings to Younglings, Padawans, or the occasional older beings. Sometimes Council members, who were frequently at the Jedi Temple, where initial instruction commonly took place, served as Jedi instructors. However, most such mentors were stationed at a Jedi Praxeum or academy. *''Jedi battlemaster'' – a Jedi highly skilled in lightsaber combat, the Battlemaster was the lightsaber combat instructor of a Jedi Praxeum, Temple, or Academy. *''Jedi trainer'' – a Jedi student or Jedi Knight responsible for teaching and instructing a certain aspect of the Force, the Jedi trainer was a vital component in the education of Jedi Knights in the early years of the New Jedi Order. The Chosen One The prophecy of the Chosen One was an ancient Jedi legend that foretold the coming of a being who was "to bring balance to the Force". This prophecy was interpreted by Qui-Gon and other Jedi to mean that he would destroy the Sith. Qui-Gon Jinn believed that a young Anakin Skywalker was that person when he discovered him in 32 BBY, because of Anakin's exceptionally high midi-chlorian count and unique birth. It seemed that Anakin was not the Chosen One, since he fell to the Dark Side, and as Darth Vader, was a main figure in the destruction of the Jedi Order. However, in 4 ABY he redeemed himself with his decision to stand against Emperor Palpatine, sacrificing himself to save his son, Luke, and finally destroyed the Sith in the process, proving Qui-Gon and various others correct at last. With the deaths of both Sidious and Vader the Force was brought into a certain "balance". Category:Articles by aeods